Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “But what about the central bank? Don’t you want to prove they’re guilty of killing and stealing?” Aura asked.

  “I want to stop them from rigging the financial markets and destroying everyone who stands in their way, yes,” Kassia said.

  “What if that leads to a war?” Aura asked.

  “Then we’ll have to fight a war. I’m hoping that can be avoided, if we’re clever. Just like you, I hope fair dealings can still prevail,” Kassia said.

  “I hope to get some rest, just so I can take good care of Arik,” Aura said.

  “I agree, you need it…for his sake,” Kassia said.

  Aura lay down on the bed next to Arik. The stress of her fears made her quickly fall into a deep sleep.

  ~~~

  Under the cover of darkness, Daley moved through the Port of Hithagredil, looking for anything that seemed wrong. He didn’t have a specific idea of what ‘wrong’ looked like. Instead, he relied more on his intuition and eavesdropping skills while unseen.

  He soon arrived at the docks and saw a large number of ships – three hundred twenty-six (326) vessels – being loaded or waiting to be loaded. Daley listened in on conversations among the dock workers and learned that these were precious gem shipments from the central bank, and that they were coming in larger numbers than usual, but he didn’t get any specific numbers.

  ~~~

  In the eastern central region of the continent of Waderav, in the castle of Baron Vizakrid, the tyrant sat upon his throne. A young man entered his throne room, knelt down in front of him and said: “My lord, I have received a message from the central bank, through a familiar spirit. We are to have our farmers provide a thirty (30) day supply of all crops, and loaded onto cargo ships the central bank will send. For this, we will be paid a thirty-eight (38) percent bonus.”

  “Are your Zovvin waters pure, Climaco? Can you trust this spirit?” Baron Vizakrid asked.

  The nineteen (19) year old man – Climaco – said: “Yes, my lord. My waters are pure, and I have communed with this spirit before.”

  “It sounds too good to be true, Climaco. Do you swear to this?” Baron Vizakrid asked.

  “I swear to it my lord. The message is genuine,” Climaco said.

  “The punishment will be swift if you disappoint me, Climaco,” Baron Vizakrid said.

  “The message is from whom the spirit said, my lord. Because of the pure Zovvin waters I drink, I trust my senses that the spirit is not lying about the source of the message or its content. However, I do not trust the central bank to send a true message and I cannot promise that they will deliver,” Climaco said.

  “You are only nineteen (19) years old, Climaco, so you have little experience in these matters. Do not presume to be the judge of the central bank. I will send out my troops at once, and they will deliver my orders to the farmers to harvest the fields, sell the crops and collect the payment,” Baron Vizakrid said.

  ~~~

  Captain Pradrock walked across the deck of the Resolute Traverser and entered the wheelhouse, where Akylas was waiting.

  “Akylas, chart a course for Revod, Port Number Five Hundred Seventeen,” Pradrock said.

  Akylas opened the atlas that was on the large map table and found the page listing the port numbers and their coordinates related to the continent of Revod. He then drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. He learned their paths and positions and used this information to chart a course. He wrote a record of this onto a blank page in the log book that was lying next to the atlas.

  “I’ve got the course, Captain. Should I ready the ship and set sail right away?” Akylas asked.

  “I’ll take care of that. Rest for now until I need you again,” Pradrock said.

  Akylas then left the wheelhouse.

  ~~~

  In the castle of Duke Rhys, the lord sat upon his throne. His wife, Duchess Siana, entered the throne room fully dressed and escorted by Lieutenant Colonel Arthfael.

  Duchess Siana sat upon her throne, while Lieutenant Colonel Arthfael stood in front of both thrones, facing the lord and lady of the castle.

  “Were all objectives met, Duchess Siana?” Duke Rhys asked, turning slightly to partially face his wife.

  “No they were not, Duke Rhys. The recruitment effort fell short. A woman with the power of song used her voice to prevent me from seducing the young men into joining our military,” Duchess Siana said.

  “This is unfortunate. What about the taxation objective?” Duke Rhys asked.

  “We did manage to achieve that objective, but with greater difficulty,” Duchess Siana said.

  “In the end, that is what matters,” Duke Rhys said.

  “We will need more soldiers if we are to manage our land efficiently, not to mention expanding our borders. And I am a needful woman. My desires are not satisfied,” Duchess Siana said.

  “Then I shall have to please you, Duchess Siana. I am still among your many lovers,” Duke Rhys said.

  A plump woman entered the throne room from a side passage, knelt down in front of the duke’s throne and said: “Duke Rhys, my lord, a familiar spirit has given me a message, sent from the central bank.”

  “What is the message, Quianna?” Duke Rhys asked.

  “She is your newest servant, Duke Rhys, is she not? Would you not prefer to have Quianna tonight to embrace you? I prefer variety in my lovers, just as you do, to keep the touches new and exciting. Our marriage is open, and so much better for it,” Duchess Siana said.

  “Quianna, tell me the message from the central bank. Then, follow me to my chamber and pleasure me,” Duke Rhys said.

  “Yes, my lord. We are to have our farmers provide a thirty (30) day supply of all crops, and these are to be loaded onto cargo ships the central bank will send. For this, we will be paid a thirty-eight (38) percent bonus,” the plump woman – Quianna – said.

  “You heard her, Lieutenant Colonel Arthfael. Send out our troops and have the farmers deliver the crops to the cargo ships and collect the payment,” Duke Rhys said.

  “Yes, my lord,” Lieutenant Colonel Arthfael said. He left the throne room, exited the castle and organized his troops for the next mission.

  Duke Rhys stood up from his throne and said: “Come with me, Quianna. You have been with me for only two (2) months, and I should like to spend more time close together.”

  “I live to serve and please you, my lord,” Quianna said.

  “You are not a young woman, either, Quianna. You had some experience in pleasing men before,” Duke Rhys said.

  “I am forty-six (46) years old, my lord. I have had many lovers, and I know how to keep them very warm, in many ways,” Quianna said.

  “Yes, you have been delightful, Quianna, on the few occasions I’ve called you into service,” Duke Rhys said. He then led Quianna out of the throne room and into his bed chamber to be intimate with her.

  Duchess Siana looked over the guards in the throne room and spotted one who pleased her and she hadn’t feasted upon before. She stood up from her throne, approached the man and said: “It’s your turn, tonight. Come with me. Enter into me.” She then led the guard out of the throne room and into her private bed chamber, where they both undressed. Siana opened herself and coupled with the man, fiercely gripping him in reckless passion.

  ~~~

  Inside the wheelhouse of the Resolute Traverser, Captain Pradrock pulled levers to raise the anchor and retract the boarding ramp. He steered the vessel out of the Port of Hithagredil and sailed it westward across the Pirovalen Ocean until reaching the Farmer’s Road land bridge. At that point, he pulled levers to pivot the masts and the sails to the sides of the ship and elevated the vessel to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude. He steered the ship westward across the land bridge and returned it to sea level in the Trerada Ocean. From there, he sailed the vessel northwestward until reaching the Glivoran Trail land bridge. Again, he pulled levers to pivot
the masts and the sails to the sides of the ship, elevated the vessel to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude and steered it across the land bridge. He returned the ship to sea level in the Kazofen Ocean and continued sailing the vessel northwest.

  Massimo ran into the wheelhouse and yelled: “Stop the ship! Stop now!”

  Akylas heard the screaming and entered the wheelhouse behind Massimo.

  Captain Pradrock remained calm but pulled levers to halt the forward movement of the ship. He then turned to Massimo and asked: “We’re holding still. What is wrong, Massimo?”

  Jolene entered the wheelhouse next to Akylas and said: “Calm down, Massimo. I sensed your fear even before I heard you scream.”

  “I see something ahead, in our way! A new mountain! It wasn’t there before. Now, it’s moving through the ocean, but it’s bending light around it so you can’t see. I noticed it by looking at just the right angle, and bending light in a different direction, so I could see around the other mountains, searching for pirates. The moving mountain extends for more than one hundred fifty (150) miles, and it’s slowly crossing our path,” Massimo said.

  “That is very concerning. Let’s go out on deck and take a closer look,” Captain Pradrock said. He exited the wheelhouse, followed by Akylas, Massimo and Jolene.

  Fritz met them out on deck, as did Akantha and Torin.

  “What is going on, Captain? Why did you stop the ship in the middle of the Kazofen Ocean?” Fritz asked.

  “Massimo said that he can see a mountain – which is somehow bending light around its mass so that it can’t be seen – moving through the ocean,” Captain Pradrock said.

  “Does anybody else see any sign of it?” Akantha asked.

  “No, they don’t,” Jolene said after probing everyone’s thoughts.

  “The senses can be fooled,” Akantha said.

  “When sailing the Lujladia Ocean, I would expect to find mountains where they don’t appear to be, or false appearances. In the Ikkith Tar Ocean, I would expect to find hidden mountains. Here, I am more than surprised,” Captain Pradrock said.

  “But you don’t doubt him,” Jolene said.

  “No. But I would like more evidence, as well as an explanation. I have an idea of how to get it,” Captain Pradrock said. He drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power of calm, rational thought. He then made several mental calculations, took a notebook from his coat pocket and drew a design onto a new page. He showed the page to Fritz and said: “Fritz, can you mold a diamond – a spare sailing crystal – into that pattern?”

  Fritz returned to his cabin where he opened a desk drawer and took hold of a diamond inside. He went back out on deck and said: “Let me try with this.” He drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to manipulate crystal and stone. He molded the low-level structure of the diamond according to the design that the new page in Pradrock’s notebook indicated. “This matches your design,” he said.

  “Now, look through it,” Captain Pradrock said.

  Fritz looked through the molded diamond and could see the silhouette of a mountain moving across the Kazofen Ocean. “Now I can see what Massimo is describing. A mountain is moving, very slowly, across our path. Here, see for yourself,” he said and handed the molded diamond over.

  Captain Pradrock received the molded diamond and looked through it and said: “There are some distortions, as the crystal pattern is new and untested. However, I am now confident that there is a mountain-scale object moving across our path, on a northwestern trajectory. We will have to wait for our path to be clear.”

  “I don’t like the sound of this in any way,” Akantha said.

  “Neither do I,” Akylas said.

  “Since I can’t see it, I don’t know what to think of it, but are you sure it’s a mountain and not an iceberg?” Torin asked.

  “An invisible iceberg? Really?” Akantha asked.

  “That is a good question, and no, we’re not sure.” Fritz said.

  “Massimo, can you use light to sense the surface temperature of the object?” Captain Pradrock asked.

  Massimo drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to manipulate light. He projected a beam of light in the general direction of the large moving object and worked to perceive its temperature based on the reflected light. “It does not seem as cold as ice of any kind,” he said.

  “That is not conclusive. The distortion effect that makes the object’s appearance nonobvious may also mislead your sense of its surface temperature,” Captain Pradrock said.

  “So, what do we do?” Akantha asked.

  “We wait. I don’t have an explanation, unfortunately. However, we should watch to see if the object changes course. It is sufficiently massive as to pose a risk to the ship’s hull,” Captain Pradrock said.

  ~~~

  In southeastern Waderav, inside his castle in the Duchy of Yutaka, Baron Amidio sat upon his throne and said: “I have decided something. Goyo, approach the throne.”

  Goyo approached and said: “I beg your mercy, my lord.”

  Baron Amidio drew a dagger from his belt, pointed it at Goyo and said: “Do you think you can still be useful, Goyo?”

  “I swear to you, my lord, I will find a way to serve you, for so long as I live,” Goyo said. He stared at the dagger, fearful of the cruel death that Amidio had planned for him.

  “Very well, Goyo,” Baron Amidio said. He used the dagger to cut the sleeves off of Goyo’s tunic. He unfurled them and then ran the dagger tip gently down Goyo’s right cheek, pivoting the blade and catching the blood on the flat side.

  “I beg you, please, my lord, not to end my life, that I may live to serve you to the best of my ability,” Goyo said. The scar on his right cheek bled slowly at first. The flow then moved more quickly.

  Baron Amidio then took the cutoff left side tunic sleeve and held it up to Goyo’s right cheek. “Hold it there, and the bleeding will stop,” he said.

  Goyo then used the back of his right, handless wrist to hold the cutoff sleeve in place.

  Baron Amidio used the bloodied dagger tip and wrote a message on the cutoff right side tunic sleeve.

  “Goyo, this is the message you are to deliver to King Hamza Bazavador, written in your own blood. It promises that I, Baron Amidio, will not act against the wellbeing or interests of the king, and make no claim against his life or property. You and Captain Duvall should go at once and deliver this message. Perhaps the Chronicler can join you,” Baron Amidio said, handing the cutoff tunic sleeve with the bloody message over to Goyo.

  “Under the authority of the Oath, I will remain here,” Caemgen said. He observed and recorded all that was said and done. He copied the blood-written message into his own book, and described how the message was written.

  Captain Duvall approached Goyo and looked at the bloody message on the cutoff tunic sleeve. He said: “I must ask you, Baron Amidio, if this is a sincere message, being that it is written in blood that is not even your own, on torn cloth that is not from your own garment. His Majesty, King Hamza Bazavador, must be convinced that you mean what is written here. If this message does not satisfy the king, or if he perceives mockery, he will conclude that your intentions are hostile, and retaliate.”

  “I assure you, Captain Duvall, that the message is sincere. The insult is to Goyo, who never should have acted against King Hamza Bazavador. I did not – and would not – give him such authority. Once he learned that the land belonged to the king, he should have returned to me immediately with a copy of the document to prove ownership. I would not have held the matter against him. Goyo should have known better and acted accordingly. The blood of my servant has been spilled as a rebuke to my servant. Now, please go and deliver this. Do not return to me, Goyo. If I see you again, I will not have mercy, because you are crippled in mind more than body,” Baron Amidio said.

  ~~~

 
Captain Duvall took firm hold of Goyo’s left arm and led him out of Baron Amidio’s castle. The Sky Lion was waiting on the dry land nearby, and they boarded the vessel.

  Captain Lusala was waiting on deck and asked: “Are you ready to leave?”

  “Yes. We have a message from Baron Amidio. We must return to His Majesty, King Hamza Bazavador, at once,” Captain Duvall said. He held up the cutoff tunic sleeve with the bloodied message.

  Captain Lusala looked at the blood-on-cloth message and said: “I have an uneasy feeling about this message, Captain Duvall. This is not a proper way to communicate with His Majesty, King Hamza Bazavador. I fear that he may not believe its sincerity and regard it as an insult instead of a promise.”

  “It is all that we have, Captain Lusala,” Captain Duvall said.

  ~~~

  Captain Lusala walked across the deck of the Sky Lion, entered the wheelhouse and said: “Uzoma, I trust that you have already charted our return course. Sail the ship back to the castle of His Majesty, King Hamza Bazavador, immediately.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Uzoma said. He took the wheel of the Sky Lion and pulled levers to elevate the ship to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude. He then steered the vessel eastward across the land, heading toward the coastline of the Gradaken Ocean, where he returned the ship to sea level. From there, he sailed the vessel along the reverse of the course by which he arrived.

  ~~~

  An older man with a white beard and a bent back entered the throne room of Baron Amidio, moving slowly. “My lord, I have a message from the central bank,” he said.

  “What is the message, Leocadio?” Baron Amidio asked.

  “According to the familiar spirit, they’ve given us new orders. We are to have our farmers provide a thirty (30) day supply of all crops, and they’re to be loaded onto cargo ships the central bank will send. For this, we will be paid a thirty-eight (38) percent bonus,” the older man – Leocadio – said. The eighty-two (82) year old man struggled to hold his head up while he spoke with a raspy voice.